


Alone

by Mira



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-19
Updated: 2010-02-19
Packaged: 2017-10-07 09:34:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/63820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mira/pseuds/Mira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Sorry, gentlemen, but the colonel is needed here a while longer. The chair interface work we're doing is going well, but John is the strongest gene-carrier available."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Alone

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Nny's](http://villainny.livejournal.com) [Sex is Not the Enemy](http://villainny.livejournal.com/1420948.html) Challenge. NSFW image at end of story.

Rodney crossed his arms and glared at the monitor. On it, John smirked at him, crossed his own arms, and cocked his hip. Next to him Carter continued. "We didn't recognize it as a control chair back in the nineties, but Daniel was reviewing his notes --"

"I _know_," Rodney snapped. "I get it, but --"

"Rodney," Carter said, and she put her hands on her waist to glare right back at him. "I'm sorry if this inconveniences you on chess night, but Colonel Sheppard is needed here a while longer. If you have some legitimate reason for us to release him early, send an email."

John twiddled his fingers at Rodney just before Carter snapped the connection. "Chuck!" Rodney roared.

"I'm sorry, Doctor McKay, but --"

"Never mind," Teyla interjected smoothly, surprising Rodney. "When is the next scheduled call?"

"Tomorrow, same time," Chuck answered.

"Shit," Rodney muttered, but he came obediently when Teyla nudged his arm. He heard her thank Chuck, and saw people skitter out of their way as she led him to the nearest transporter. Ronon was waiting for them when the doors opened. As soon as they closed again, Rodney shouted, "It's been a fucking week!" Ronon took Rodney's arm and pulled him out and down the corridor. "Goddammit," Rodney muttered sullenly.

"We will speak to him again tomorrow, Rodney, as you know."

"Blah blah blah, and with that _harridan_ eavesdropping, what's that about."

"What's a harridan?" Ronon asked, stuffing something into his mouth.

"What are you eating? Is it really edible? Can I have some?"

"Ronon! Rodney!" Teyla actually clapped her hands at them; Rodney was stunned. "Ronon, stopped eating that; I am not sure it is edible. Rodney, you do not believe that Samantha Carter is a harridan. And for John, he will be home when he can."

Rodney kicked door to his room, which opened sluggishly. Ronon pushed him inside, Teyla following, and Rodney flopped onto the bed, scowling at the ceiling. "Rodney," Teyla began. He put his arm over his eyes.

The bed dipped, stupid little thing, and then again. Rodney knew that Ronon and Teyla had sat next to him. For a minute they said nothing; he could imagine them communicating wordlessly above him, so he pulled away his arm and said, "What? What!"

Teyla took his hand. "He will be home soon. You know this."

"Not soon enough," Ronon said gruffly, but he patted Rodney's head until Rodney pushed his hand away.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop being an asshole." Ronon snorted and Teyla raised a graceful eyebrow. "As much as possible."

"That is all anyone could ask," Teyla said. "Now, have you eaten? Perhaps you will keep us company."

"Torren coming?" She smiled at him. He squirmed under their gaze, and said, "Okay."

The next evening he was back in the control room trying not to fidget while he waited for the connection to be made. Radek stood by his side, flipping through the notes on his tablet; just behind him, Lorne waited. When Sam's face appeared on the monitor, Radek said, "We have the information you requested, Colonel."

"Sending it now," Chuck said.

Sam stared at something slightly below the camera; probably a monitor, Rodney thought. He waited impatiently.

"Got it," Sam said. "Thanks, Radek. Did you --"

"Yes, yes, of course he did," Rodney snapped. "Are you questioning Radek's abilities?"

"What? No, Rodney," Sam started, but then John came into view. She stepped aside, glancing at him.

"Now, play nice, Rodney," he drawled.

Rodney stared at him. Radek nudged his elbow so he nodded at John, swallowing hard. After a few seconds, Lorne said, "Chuck, send those reports through to Colonel Sheppard."

"How's it going?" John asked.

"'Bout as expected," Lorne said. "No problems, but I'll be glad when you're back."

"Yeah, me, too," John said, and looked at Sam, who shook her head.

"Sorry, gentlemen, but the colonel is needed here a while longer. The chair interface work we're doing is going well, but John is the strongest gene-carrier available."

"There's always O'Neill," Rodney blurted out, his voice thick with anger.

Sam rolled her eyes. "Riiiight," she said, in that annoying way that made Rodney want to shout at her. "I'll just pull a lieutenant general from his duties in DC out to Area 51."

"It would make more sense than to pull someone from his duties in another galaxy," Rodney shot back. Radek touched his elbow again, and he felt Lorne stir. John stared at the camera, seemingly into Rodney's eyes.

"We're not having this discussion again," Sam said, dismissive as always. "Radek, your usual excellent work. I'm sending you a few things we uncovered today," and Rodney heard Chuck murmur in the background. "Bill Lee sends his best; he'll be here tomorrow. I have to go to Colorado Springs for a few days."

Rodney wanted to say something, preferably snotty, but he couldn't think of a thing. He just stared back at John's carefully sardonic expression, trying to memorize his features.

"I said, is there anything else?" he heard Sam say.

"No, ma'am," Radek said, poking Rodney yet again.

The screen blanked out. Rodney kept staring at it, seeing John's face fade, receding millions of light years. "Fuck," he finally said, and turned to find Ronon and Teyla waiting for him again. This time, Teyla had Torren in her arms; he was chewing on something; was that a wooden slide rule? "I hope that's non-toxic paint he's eating," he said at last.

Ronon made a noise Rodney couldn't interpret, then grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the control room. Woolsey stood back to let them pass. "Good evening, Mister Woolsey," Teyla said graciously. He waved nervously at Torren.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," Rodney said when the transporter doors slid shut. They opened immediately and he saw this time they were taking him directly to the mess hall. "I could eat," he added.

But after dinner, when he returned to his lab, he found he couldn't focus on his work. Nothing life-threatening at the moment, or at least, nothing his people couldn't handle. If there had been, John would have been returned to them, and for an instant he wished something would come up. But no. Bad things would happen soon enough; no need to wish for them.

Radek shooed the others out around eight, coming to lean against Rodney's table. Rodney was rummaging through his notes on the chair, work he'd culled from the database when they'd first arrived. "You must not injure yourself," Radek said quietly.

Rodney scoffed. "What, I'm cutting myself? Anorexic? Don't be ridiculous."

"I am not ridiculous. I am an old friend who knows you well and worries about you."

"Well, don't," he said, feeling his mouth turn down. "I don't like it when you mother-hen me."

Radek sniffed haughtily. "I have no idea why you are CIO; you are terrible manager. Listen to me, _starý přítel_. You cannot go without sleep for a week, not even when you were a young man, which we both know you are not." He walked around the table and gently took Rodney's arm. "Shut down the computers, yes? And now go to bed."

"Mother hen," Rodney muttered, but he did as Radek suggested. He was tired. He also knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. But he could rest, and there was the never-ending problem of conserving energy; he could run those familiar equations in his head. Perhaps tonight would bring a breakthrough.

The next evening, Woolsey stood with Radek and Lorne when the wormhole flickered open and the signal appeared on the monitors. John looked tired, too, Rodney thought. He barely listened to their discussion, watching John instead. He was participating more tonight, contributing more than he had when Samantha was present. Of course, he knew more about the chair than Bill Lee; more about the chair than practically anyone, Rodney thought. He let the discussion wash over him.

John's face was unusually animated; usually when on Earth and particularly when in the SGC he appeared somber, almost wooden. Rodney knew how irritating Bill could be, but maybe they'd bonded over WoW. More likely, John was just more comfortable around Bill than Sam; after all, Bill was a scientist, not a superior officer. And he had no problem asking for help.

Then John glanced up at the monitor, and for an instant it was as if he were staring directly into Rodney's eyes. Bill rambled on, wrangling over a calculation with Radek but Rodney ignored everything except John's face. He had a small frown, the one he wore when concentrating, and his lips were slightly parted. While Rodney watched, John licked his lower lip, and suddenly Rodney was breathless, and he felt his own mouth drop open. He stared at John, then caught himself. He closed his mouth, straightened, took a breath.

John looked away, down first and then at Bill, still rambling. Rodney felt as though he'd sprinted from one end of Atlantis to the other. He clasped his hands together behind him to hide their trembling. He waited.

John finally looked up again, into the little camera again, into Rodney's eyes and into his heart again.

Then Bill said something, and Radek said something, and Woolsey said, "Soon, Colonel. You are much missed. Chuck?"

"Sending," Chuck said promptly.

"Very well, then," Woolsey said. "Anything else?"

Rodney said through numb lips, "Come home soon."

John nodded. His image disappeared and Rodney saw his reflection in the darkened monitor. Alone in Atlantis.

  


 

* * *

Posted 19 January 2010  
Word Count: 1,600


End file.
